Proper 24 (C) - 10.16.22

Preliminary

Genesis: biblical “family”

Wrestling with God - may have many forms

Gospel: Reassuring - unjust judge grants justice not to be bother ever again, but God will help because God wants to help.

Psalm: God is here to protect and help

News cycle: 15 year old killed 5 people in Raleigh, North Carolina

40 people died in Turkey Coal Mine

Russians continue to retreat under the counterattack of Ukraine

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Good morning,

Looks like the building is still standing! This Friday I have returned from LSTC’s Homecoming and it was a great opportunity to reconnect, network, learn, and serve! And also eat some rather delicious catered food, to tell you the truth! As a part of it was a conference that dealt with the neuroscience of bias of different kinds and well, there is sadly so much to talk about in regards to that - our brains can be rather judgy and susceptible to lean too heavily on both learned and inherent stereotypes. The good news is that through neuroplasticity, we can rewire our brains and make our brains better through our actions, mindfulness, education, socializing, and more!

Another one we cannot quite stop talking about any time soon is injustice. Injustice is widespread in our world just like in the times of the widow from our Gospel text - just this week, 5 people in Raleigh, NC died for no fault of their own due to the toxic gun culture preying on susceptible at risk teens and fearful people that is fueled by NRA and gun makers and at least 41 people died in a coal mine in Turkey due to a gas explosion, even though a safety report from 2019 already notes a high gas content in the coal seam and I am sure something could have been done. In our world today, there are still many that cannot be bothered to do the right thing unless they are really inconvenienced and/or exposed just like the Judge. However, our God is different and actually wants to listen to our prayers, laments, and complaints as we learn not only from the Bible, but also from the person of Jesus Christ that cared, loved, and stood in solidarity especially with those often overlooked during his earthly, sandals on the ground, part of the ministry. And unlike the Judge, Jesus worshipped God the Father and respected people.

Here, I must first acknowledge that the old interpretative tradition had the questionable, lazy, and patriarchal habit of attributing God to men in power in Jesus’ parables, no matter how awful they might seem. It does not really fit here either, I think. The Greek word for judge (krinoo) is overwhelmingly used for secular rule in NT- Jesus mentions it once (refuses to be "krino"/judge in fact (cf. Luke 12:14)) and then there are analogies to God being the Judge (krino) in 2Tim , Hebrews, and James, all written likely after the time of Jesus AND Paul, which would all point to a later adoption of the analogy in the budding interpretative tradition. If our God was this angry and inaccessible God high in the sky, perhaps then it would make a little bit of sense, but if our knowledge of God’s temperament comes through Jesus, it simply does not hold any water.

I think God here is presented as an opposite to the Judge - He has no fear of God or respect for people and delays rightful action that is his job until the widow is really persistent and on the other hand is God, whom Jesus extolled as one who WILL grant justice quickly to those that cry to God. Isn’t it quite the difference? They are nothing alike! God does not need compelling to do what is right.

And I think that is important as way too often we find ourselves needing to remind, insist, advocate, and so much more with other people that are unwilling to do the right thing, even though they know about it because we told them! I bet all of you would have at least a story or two, some mild and some severe. How refreshing it is when we find “our people” that are in our corner and help us and support us without much insisting. And how much more delightful it is with God! It may be a comfort for us that God listens and desires to help, but there is more!

I think it also calls on us to take note and turn away from the ways of the Judge towards the ways of God’s love and care. Politicians know what needs to happen, so that the toxic gun culture is diminished in the U. S. - they were told again and again that federally mandated background checks and gun regulations will help, as well as holding gun manufacturers responsible for their lobbying and fearmongering campaigns. Similarly, safety reports contain recommendations for those in power. It’s not just Turkey, Chernobyl disaster happened, because the findings of the possible fault of the safety measure that led to the disaster was classified and tucked away by the KGB. Cigarette manufacturers knew that their products may cause cancer as early as 1940s, but still tried to mantain the appearance of the opposite until 1999. Without challenge, they might have continued at it until now. And also through the January 6th committee, we are learning about all those that knew what havoc was about to be unleashed on the Capitol on that day and NONE of them did the right thing.

On a personal level, how can we live into this God’s maxim? When we know what the right thing is, we should actually do it whenever we can! If we have the ability to protect, amplify, negotiate, and help - we don’t have to be judges or God for that. And sometimes we need to be like the widow and be persistent in asking those in power to do the right thing - to protect the vulnerable, to help the downtrodden, to amplify the voices of the marginalized… Talking to them, showing up at town halls, voting them in and out dependent on their values and actions, telling those in power what justice and wholeness should look like according to our loving and caring God. That is the missional purpose of the church - we are participants in God’s mission for the sake of the world, so that it may know God’s love, justice, and wholeness. We do not have the truth, but the truth has us and it has set us free…and has the potential to set the whole world free from the bondage of selfishness, self-indulgence, fear, and hate. The fire of Pentecost rages on, but it needs willing torches to carry it to others as that is how God intends it to be.

Beloved community, let us be brave and compassionate, whether we find ourselves in a position to grant someone justice or we find ourselves in need of justice. For our God is here to listen and answer our cries for justice and we are to do likewise. Amen.